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Grey Breasted Mountain Toucan Chromolithograph.

Name: Grey Breasted Mountain Toucan Chromolithograph.
SKU: as1081a168
Price: 175.00 GBP
Availability: InStock

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The Birds of Australia was a book written by John Gould and published in seven volumes between 1840 and 1848, with a supplement of other birds published between 1851 and 1869. It was the first comprehensive survey of the birds of Australia and included descriptions of 681 species, 328 of which were new to Western science and were first described by Gould. Gould and his wife Elizabeth née Coxen travelled to Australia from England in 1838 to prepare the book. They spent a little under two years collecting specimens for the book. John travelled widely and made extensive collections of Australian birds and other fauna. Elizabeth, who had illustrated several of his earlier works, made hundreds of drawings from specimens for publication in The Birds of Australia. The plates of the book were produced by lithography. Elizabeth produced 84 plates before she died in 1841, Edward Lear produced one, Benjamin Waterhouse Hawkins contributed one and the remaining 595 plates were produced by H. C. Richter from Elizabeth's drawings and were published under his name. The accompanying letterpress descriptions of the birds are authored by John Gould and were printed by the firm R. & J. E. Taylor. Gould created 250 copies of his survey and today they realise in excess of £200,000 GBP at auction. In addition to this tome, Gould also studied Exotic birds from Europe and the Americas.

Here we are delighted to offer an astonishing 'Pternoglossus Hypoglaucus' Chromolithograph. This species is distinguished from other mountain toucans by its colorful bill: red and black at the tip and yellow-green at the base, where there is a black, thumbprint-shaped mark. The black head is set off from the chestnut-brown back by a pale gray collar. the northern nominate subspecies has dark eyes, while the southern A. h. lateralis has pale eyes. Total length of the gray-breasted mountain toucan is 46–48 cm (18–19 in) long and weight is 244-370 grams (8.6–13.1 oz). A wide variety of fruits and berries are eaten and this species is often more willing than most largish toucans to leave the canopy to eat raspberries near the base of the trees. They tend to remain quiet while flying and are known to mix often with other birds while foraging, including larger species of tanagers, thrushes and icterids, both behavior unusual in toucans. Very little is known about the life history details for this species. The chromolithograph which was printed by hand in 1954 by K.G. Lohse of Frankfurt, made using the same lithographer's stones (plate) commissioned by Gould. This plate features layers of printing and is near identical to those produced with Gould's oversight, with deep glossy tones, rich textures, details are absolutely astonishing.

The lithograph is mounted in a luxury handmade, hand-finished and wonderfully gilded hammered wooden frame with a confidently proportioned decorated mount. A fine gold fillet has been added as a very sophisticated contrast for the plate. The frame is renaissance gold (the main face features thick foil incorporating real gold) and with good light this piece just glows, with a wonderful, deep and warm gold tone (even our professional photographs can't adequately capture the beautiful frame colour). The glass is museum quality with low reflection, amazing colour transparency and high U.V. absorption to protect the works. The archival acid-free materials and professional techniques used to protect and frame this work will ensure that it continues to be enjoyed for many decades to come.

The framed lithograph measures a substantial 64cm tall by 54cm wide.

The work can be shipped, at cost, within the UK or Internationally.

Price

£175.00

$218.17

€209.14

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Category Antique Pictures / Engravings / Art > Antique Lithographs Date 1954 1950s Antiques Material Paper Origin English Item code as1081a168 Status For Sale

SellerGreystones Fine Interiors

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Greystones Fine Interiors

Private dealer
by appointment only
Near Peterborough
Cambridgeshire

Tel : 07425 298868

Non UK callers : +44 7425 298868

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Grey Breasted Mountain Toucan Chromolithograph.

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